An SUV found partially submerged near an Upstate dam was reported stolen out of Laurens County, deputies said.

The SUV was in the Saluda River near the Holiday Dam in the Belton-area of Anderson County

Advertisement

Members of the Anderson Fire Department Technical Rescue team searched the vehicle and found no one inside, said Josh Hawkins, the dive rescue coordinator at the scene.

"We looked throughout the whole car making sure no one was in it. We checked seats, floorboards. We train on this type of situation just to make sure we clear every inch of the car," Hawkins said. "When we got to the car the steering wheel was actually tied in a specific direction, so they had it tied to the car to go in one direction."

The SUV was pulled out of the lake just before 1 p.m by James Auto Repair & Towing. It was taken to a storage yard while deputies try to find the owners.

The SUV was found off a bumpy access road off Holiday Dam Road.

James Whittington, the owner of the tow truck company, said getting to the SUV made this one of his hardest jobs.

"It's real bad from here to the main highway. There are some ruts out there that are probably a foot or more deep. It's kind of hard to get in and out, Whittington said.